The present invention relates to methods for enhancing the therapeutic effects of a neurotoxin, e.g., a botulinum toxin. In some embodiments, the present inventions relates to methods for enhancing the therapeutic effects of a neurotoxin for treating pain. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to methods for enhancing the therapeutic effects of a neurotoxin for treating pain caused by headaches and/or migraines, where the methods comprise a “wash-down” (e.g., a decreased intake) of a current pain medication and an administration of a neurotoxin. Optionally, the method comprises a “wash-up” (e.g., an increased intake) of the current pain medication after the administration of the neurotoxin.
The present discovery is surprising for at least the reason that it is known that after the administration of a neurotoxin to alleviate a pain, there is a lag time before the neurotoxin alleviates the pain. During this lag time, a medical practitioner would not prematurely decrease the amount of pain medication being used by a patient. Even more so, a medical practitioner would not prematurely decrease the amount of a pain medication being used by the patient prior to the patient being administered with a neurotoxin. In fact, there is a trend in the past few years that patients being treated for pain with a neurotoxin, e.g., a botulinum toxin, are allowed to take more pain medications concurrently with the administration of the neurotoxin. The present discovery is surprising because it comprises a step decreasing the intake of a pain medication prior the administration of a neurotoxin, or during the lag time.